Campaign Launched To Help Edmonton Boys Orphaned Days Before Christmas

Two young boys are celebrating Christmas without their parents this year after a north Edmonton house fire claimed their lives on Sunday.

The couple, identified as Roseann Deleeuw, 26, and Jeremy Grambo, 28, were found on their living room couch when fire crews arrived just before 3 a.m. A neighbour had reported smelling smoke in the rented townhouse unit.

“We don’t really know where we go from here. It’s kind of one of those things where you take it minute by minute,” Kayla Walker, Deleeuw’s sister told Global News.

Investigators suspect the fire started in the kitchen or on the stove. According to CTV News, the suite’s smoke detectors failed to go off.

The couple’s boys, four-year-old Caine and eight-month-old Kage, were at their grandparents' house at the time. Deleeuw and Grambo had dropped them off there earlier in the day.

On Christmas Eve, friends and family launched a GoFundMe campaign to seed a trust fund for the couple’s two boys. So far, the response has been incredible. Over 500 people have contributed $8,500 dollars in 24 hours.

“I am overwhelmed by the support for our grandchildren by friends, family and the public,” said grandmother Teri Walker.

Edmonton Fire Chief Ken Block told Global his department’s thoughts and prayers are with the couple’s family and friends. The fire damage has been estimated to be around $100,000.

“The damage wasn’t that extensive as far as dollar loss goes, but obviously the tragedy is in the victims,” he said, adding it’s a difficult scenario at any time of the year. “It’s just amplified when it’s the holiday season.”